The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-12-24

sometime during the fourth century to
ascertain the precise day of Christ's
birth, with view of fixing the festival
of Christmas, as well as that of Epiph.
any which was designed to be on the
twelfth day after Christmas in conform
ity with the legend that the star OF
Magi on the twelfth day after Christ's
birth.
After full investigation of all the ac-
cessible authorities, the twenty-ffth OF
December was agreed upon as the prob.
able date of our Saviour's birth, though
the necessity for an agreement of some
kind had perhaps more to do with fixing
precise date, than any direct evidence
to the effect that December twenty-ffth
was without doubt the right time.
After this determination of the birth
day, the festival took higher rank,
and by the sixth century the custom,
which still appertains, was instituted,
of celebrating three masses, one at
midnight, in accordance with the legend
that the birth took place at that hour,
one at dawn, and the third at an after
hour in the morning. The day was
to be regarded as one of holy commem-
oration and cheerful festival, Business
was suspended and merriment was
licensed.
The sanction of the church once given
to holiday cheer, we can readily con-
ceive how productive the crop of Christ
r.
among peoples as prone to license as
those of medieval times. Gaiety ran
into all sorts of extravagances. Solemn
professions became fantastic spectacles,
strange, inharmonious and oftentlmes
revolving blendings of mysteries and
moralities. Representation became
caricature, and the dr0mats bers0ne
were masked characters as grotesque as
those who participate in the orgies of
Bacchus.
When the common people ceased to
understand Latin, and the light of
learning was confind to the cloister, we
find Christmas literature springing up
in the shape of corals, which bore a
fancied resemblance to the supposed
songs of the shepherds as chanted on
the nj ght of Christ's birth. The cler-
gy fervently joined in these carolings
of the populace, and they were accom-
panied with dances and the music of
cymbal, tambour and guitar.
Many collections of these carols have
been made, the most celebrated of
which are those of the Welsh. 1t is
still the custom of Calabrian minstrels
to come down to the Holy City from
their mountain fastnesses, on the eve of
Christmas, and to salute the shrines of the
Virgin Mother with their wild chants,
under the poetic notion that they cheer
her until the birth-hour of her sacred
son.
Throughout England, and the Con-
tinent, it is the custom to ring church
bells at the hour of midnight, and after
the celebration of mass in the churches
of France and Italy, which are magnifi-
Gently adorned for the occasion,
repast is partaken of in order that the
the fatigues of the night.
What were called December liber-
ties' in the countries of southern Eu-
rope, became so frolicsome, ridiculous
and positively indecent as to lead to
revulsion in popular sentiment: At the
advent of Protestantism, we, according
ly find especially in Germany, almost a
discontinuance of the Christmas festivi-
ties so far as adults were concerned,
though after being remodeled they were
conducted by, or on behalf of the
children.
This was the dawn of the era of pres
ent-making, the intended gifts being
hung upon the Christmas tree marked
with the names of the donees but not
of the doners. Mothers and fathers
made the ceremony the occasion of
approving or reproving the conduct of
daughters and sons.
Two or three centuries ago, and still
in some parts of north Germany, it was
the custom to appoint receiver OF the
presents of the town or village, whose
after duty was to dress up in some fan
tastic costume and go about dispensing
favors to the surprised and half-scared
children. This parsonage became quite
a bug-bear under name of King Rupert.
He was generally received in great state
by the parents, and only gave in pro-
portion to the worth of the donee,
which was ascertained after many pre-
tended inquiries of fathers and mothers
in the presence of the children. We
can esaily see in this character the orig
inal of our Santa Claus, Kris Kingle,
Old Nick, or by whatever name the
patrone Saint of the Christmas stocking
be known.
There is Swedish tradition to the eff
feet that men living in the cold northern
latitudes are at the festival of Christ
mas metamorphosed into wolves.-
Thus transformed, they assemble in
great packs, and so rail and snarl at
mankind that the country suffers more
than if attacked by natural wolves.
The Christmas of England is more
generally observed by every age and
rank as religious, domestic and merry
making festival, than in any other
country. The holiday season extends
from Christmas to Twelfth-night Jan.
g., and often to Candlemas, (Feb. y.
Many of the customs engrafted on the
season are the invention of that ancient
creation named the "Abbot of Unrea-
son." or "Lord of Misrule." He was
entbroned in the houses of the nobility
and his ad A6itum province was to pro-
vide all the pastimes, delight the visi-
tors in every conceivable way, stuff the
larder with meats and fruits and wines,
and prepare the tables for the enter
tainment of company. He was more
arbitrary than any king, and so patron
lied the ovens, that the Italians made
them the basis of their proverb, "He
has more business than an English oven
at Christmas. The tenantry were
entertained at the Manorial Hall, and
the Lord and Mistress joined in the
customary round of mirth: